Amplified Ale Works announce Sunday beer & bacon brunch

Since opening shop in November at California Kebab and Beer Garden (4150 Mission Boulevard #208 - Pacific Beach), Amplified Ale Works managing partners JC Hill and Alex Pierson have been dialing in their beer & bacon brunch and, last week, announced it as a fixture Sunday special.

“It just so happened I tried this particular cut of bacon from Iowa Meat Farms and it was the best I’d ever had,” Hill says in a press release.

“I thought it’d be the perfect canvas to pair a variety of beers with. We always wanted to try a weekly food & beer pairing and that’s how Beer & Bacon Brunch was born. Now we’ve decided it’s here to stay.”

The farm-to-table brunch (10 to 2) goes for $20 and included four slices of hickory smoked bacon, rosemary fingerling potatoes, a smoked cheddar and egg scramble, French toast crostini with pomegranate-sangria syrup, and a sturdy helping of four craft beers.

“We select different beers each week that complement the brunch items,” says Hill.

“I like pairing a light, Belgian ale for the French Toast crostini and a robust porter for the bacon, but the actual beer changes each week.”

Hill says the name Amplified reflects the brewery’s mission to “create a unique product that invigorates the senses” (in true San Diego fashion) as well as the fact that many of the Amplified crew are musicians.

Despite his credentials as a certified Cicerone and the several years of homebrewing experience under his belt, Hill acknowledged early on that would need a seasoned brewmaster to run the show.

“My passion for beer and homebrewing would not translate to professional brewing overnight,” says Hill.

“Luckily I was put in touch with Cy Henley who had the professional experience from working at Ballast Point and Alpine, to head our program as brewmaster.”

“We sell out of our own beer soon as we release it, and that’s a good problem to have,” says Pierson.

“But we still want to share our love for food and beer. Even if we can’t always do it with our house-brewed beers, we can create great pairings with other beers we respect and have great admiration for.”